


Love at First Sight

by Mizmak



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Declarations Of Love, Fluff, M/M, Short & Sweet, use of Crowley instead of Crawley as a style choice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-06
Updated: 2021-01-06
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:27:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28596192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizmak/pseuds/Mizmak
Summary: What did Aziraphale and Crowley talk about *after* the angel held a wing over the demon on the wall of Eden, and why did it matter 6000 years later?
Relationships: Aziraphale/Crowley (Good Omens)
Comments: 9
Kudos: 56





	Love at First Sight

Naturally, Crowley had fallen for the angel from day one, because Aziraphale had been willing to admit to imperfection by giving away that flaming sword. Angels did not admit to such things, nor go around bestowing their deadliest weapon on random evictees.

And then he had raised his wing to protect Crowley from the coming rainstorm, without being asked. Angels were not kind to demons, nor did they bother engaging in friendly chitchat. 

Not having had anything in the way of friendliness or affection for a long time, Crowley basked in the glow of Aziraphale’s company. He had looked at that kindly face, with its slightly pursed, worried lips and gentle eyes, and he had felt a sudden, overwhelming desire to never leave the angel’s side again. 

Which he had to do, of course. They were hereditary enemies, after all. But before he left, Crowley could not control the urge to send a wave of love towards Aziraphale. 

So he did.

There on the top of Eden’s wall, the angel’s eyes went wide. He gaped at Crowley. “What? I beg your pardon?” 

He looked perplexed, rather than annoyed or disgusted, which was another point in the angel’s favor. Crowley smiled. “It’s called ‘love at first sight’. It will become a huge thing in future human relations.” He’d seen the planning for various human emotional conditions going on Down Below. “They think it will cause no end of trouble.” And he was certain the Forces of Darkness were right about that, because it was causing _him_ a good deal of difficulty. 

“I’m not quite following you,” Aziraphale replied.

“Emotional life. I’m talking about how the humans will have cockups all over the place from romantic turmoil. Your Lot came up with love, right? Right. And Happiness, and Empathy, and all that crap. Everything nice and warm and cuddly. But My Lot is going to throw a spanner in the works. They’re getting ready to roll out Jealousy, and Greed, and Comparing Yourself to Others. Adam and Eve are going to spawn generations of people who will wind up hating each other.”

Aziraphale gazed out over the desert, where the couple in question was striding purposefully towards the far shelter of an oasis. “But that’s terrible!”

Crowley shrugged. “I don’t make policy decisions, Angel.”

A little furrow creased his new friend’s brow. “Well, really. It doesn’t sound pleasant at all. But I suppose that’s what _your lot_ does—makes everything _bad_.”

“Yeah, kind of in the job description.” Not that he had wanted the job. “Truth to tell—” Crowley glanced around out of an abundance of caution. Did the Walls of Eden have ears? Seemed unlikely. He took a chance, and said, “Truth to tell, I came about it by accident. Hung around the wrong angels, didn’t really mean to Fall. Sort of just sauntered vaguely downward.”

Aziraphale raised his eyebrows. “Oh? How do I know you aren’t lying? It’s what you do.”

“Why would I lie?” 

“To get me to lower my guard against your wiles.”

“Nope. Not doing that. No wiles today, already fulfilled my quota.”

“Now you are simply being ridiculous. What sort of demon _are_ you?”

Crowley grinned. “A terrible one.” He gazed downward. “They ought to fire me. Wish they would.”

Aziraphale stared at him with open puzzlement. “I truly do not understand you at all. We are _enemies_ , for one thing, and yet you came slithering up here for a _chat_ , as if it were the most perfectly ordinary thing to do in the world. And then you sent forth _love_ at me! You can’t possibly be right in the head.”

“That would account for a lot. Hm.” Maybe the angel was on to something there. Perhaps his unintended Fall had permanently damaged his spiritual essence in some essential manner.

“And don’t think I have forgotten your bizarre statement about ‘love at first sight’. What, exactly, did you mean by that?”

Crowley shrugged again. “Told you—it’s meant to be something that afflicts the humans by making them do crazy things when they meet someone. Make them believe they’re in love with a person from day one. Sort of like it’s making me stay here, talking to you, when I should be reporting back downstairs on a job well done.”

“Yes, well, I ought to report upstairs.” Aziraphale sighed. “I _do_ hope no one mentions the sword.” 

“If they do, you could always blame me for it,” Crowley offered. “Tell them I made you do it, being full of wiles and all.”

“But that would be _lying!”_

“So? It’s in a good cause, right?”

The angel bit his lower lip as he looked out once more at the now barely visible humans. “Well, I suppose so.” Then he cast a suspicious look at Crowley. “Why would you suggest such a thing?”

“Don’t want you getting into trouble. Wouldn’t want them taking your new job away. You need to stay here on Earth.”

“I do?”

“Well, _I’m_ going to be stuck here for who knows how long. I’ll need company.”

“Oh, honestly.” Aziraphale shook his head. “We are an angel and a demon. We’re hereditary enemies. There is simply no reason for you to want my company, or to go around experiencing this absurd ‘love at first sight’ emotion. Do cease being so vexing.”

“Sorry. Can’t help it.” Crowley smiled. “It’s what I do.”

“Yes, and quite well, I might add.”

Crowley nodded toward Adam and Eve, to where the faint glow from a flaming sword vanished into the darkness of the storm. “Not as if you have anyone else to talk to. At least, not for a while.”

“My intention,” Aziraphale replied, “is to spend the next century or so traveling the entire Earth, so that I am familiar with all of its varied landscapes, its flora, and its fauna. Since I am going to spend my time here, I should be well informed about everything that goes on.”

“Whatever.” Crowley had no such notions. “My Lot are busy inventing something called fermentation—sounds promising. And _fun_. That’s what I’m intending to become familiar with. If you get bored, come and find me, Angel.”

“I shan’t.”

“Love you anyway,” Crowley replied as he turned to head off. “Don’t ever forget that.”

“As if I could,” Aziraphale said with a sigh. “As if I could.”

*

**Six Thousand Years Later, or thereabouts**

After that long celebratory lunch at the Ritz, they took a stroll through St. James’s Park, and as they walked along, Aziraphale casually took Crowley’s hand in his as if it were the most ordinary act in the world.

Crowley managed not to stumble. He kept walking, though he slowed his pace. 

“I don’t believe,” Aziraphale said, “that it turned out as badly for humans as your former lot once thought it would. Nor did it turn out badly for _you.”_

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Love at first sight.”

“Oh.” Crowley looked at their joined hands. “You remember that? After all this time?”

“You told me never to forget it.” Aziraphale came to a stop, and turned towards him. “And I never have.”

_Why did his knees feel so weak?_ Crowley pulled his friend over to the pond railing, so he could lean against it for support. “I never mentioned it again after that day.”

“You didn’t need to. I kept feeling it, every time we met.” Aziraphale smiled as he leaned in close to place a light kiss on Crowley’s cheek. “I did try not to believe it, I must admit, for the longest time. Yet the longer we were on Earth, and the more often we saw each other, the more I slowly came to realize that you were not playing at love. Your feelings for me were true.”

“Always.” The warmth of that kiss suffused his whole being. He returned the touch with a light kiss on Aziraphale’s forehead. “Love you, Angel.” 

“No more leaving,” his dear friend replied. “No more parting.”

“Never.”

Aziraphale pulled him into a close embrace. “I love you, too, my dear.”

Crowley wrapped his arms around his angel. _Love at first sight_ …yes, it had caused him no end of trouble—always chasing after someone he shouldn’t be seen with, forever worrying about getting them both into hot water, having only brief moments of joy in Aziraphale’s company while always yearning for more. That love he had felt on the wall of Eden had turned into endless frustration.

But he was an optimist at heart, and had kept a little hope alive within his heart and soul from that long-ago beginning until now. And now—well, now he was holding Aziraphale in his arms.

All the trouble had been worth it. 

He held on to that warm embrace for a long time. When he pulled away at last, Crowley smiled. “Walk me home, Angel?”

Aziraphale’s whole face brightened. “It will be my pleasure.”

He slid his arm through Crowley’s, and together they strolled ever so closely, and ever so happily, through the park and into Soho and on to the bookshop—and home.


End file.
